Abstract

P. SAFADI, Marcos Aurelio. Conjugated vaccines against serogroup A, C, W-135 and Y disease. Vaccimonitor [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.2, pp. 61-62. ISSN 1025-0298.

Review the current evidence on available and candidate quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines. Methods: A comprehensive overview of data on the currently available A-C-W135-Y meningococcal vaccine and the results of late stage development of novel quadrivalent candidate vaccines were reviewed. Conclusions: Licensure of highly effective meningococcal C conjugate vaccines represented an enormous progress in the possibility of controlling meningococcal C disease. The unpredictable changing serogroup epidemiology of meningococcal disease emphasizes the need of developing combination conjugate vaccines, containing more than one meningococcal polysaccharide, to broaden protection against the disease. A quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine (A-C-W135-Y) conjugated to diphtheria toxoid is available only in United States and Canada for use in persons 2-55 years of age. However, in infants (the age group with the highest incidence rates of disease) the vaccine proved to be not immunogenic and is therefore not licensed for use in children younger than 2 years.A novel tetravalent meningococcal vaccine (A-C-W135-Y) conjugated to a non-toxic diphtheria mutant toxin (CRM-197) is being evaluated in Phase III trials and has demonstrated to be immunogenic and well tolerated in all age groups, including infants, representing, at last, a real possibility of a broader protection against meningococcal disease.

Keywords : Neisseria meningitidis; meningococcal disease; conjugate meningococcal vaccines.

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